Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
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CAPE CANAVERAL – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Co-Chair of the Senate Space Force Caucus, visited the Kennedy Space Center and toured University of North Dakota’s (UND) Space Studies Department Chair Dr. Pablo de León’s ongoing research and design for spacesuits and space habitats at the Space Life Sciences Lab.
“With our state’s Space Force footprint, Air Force expertise, and world-class university research, North Dakota is leading the way in bolstering America’s dominance in space. It was great to see firsthand our contributions at the Kennedy Space Center towards the future of humanity in space,” said Senator Cramer.
The tour also featured the Artemis I lunar exploration program, the SpaceX hangar, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Veggie Program, and Swamp Works installation, which showcases new tools for deep space exploration.
Background:
Senator Cramer was instrumental in the creation of the Space Force, securing its inclusion in the National Defense Authorization Act, which President Trump signed in December 2019. Since then, Senator Cramer has helped with its implementation, using his seat on SASC to work with space leaders and bring them to North Dakota to see the state’s space potential firsthand. This included Chief of Space Operations General Raymond’s first official trip as the leader of Space Force, where he visited the University of North Dakota’s School of Aerospace Sciences and the Cavalier Air Force Station.
Senator Cramer also founded the Senate Space Force Caucus with fellow co-chairs Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM). The caucus provides an avenue to craft bipartisan legislative ideas and further support America’s newest military branch.
As the first-ever North Dakotan to serve on an Armed Services committee in Congress, Senator Cramer has used his seat on SASC to secure funding authorization and language for missions both directly and indirectly benefiting North Dakota’s military community. In July 2021, he announced the U.S. Cavalier Air Force Station officially became part of the U.S. Space Force. Cavalier and the Space Force will use its capabilities to effectively monitor our adversaries’ space activities and ensure we keep our country safe.
In August 2021, UND became the first university to partner with the U.S. Space Force through its University Partnership Program, which will give students a chance to be on the frontlines of meeting the nation’s urgent space needs. The partnership between UND and Space Force also makes North Dakota stronger, Space Force better, and America safer.
